Ohhh, I was so looking forward to this, based on the way it smelled. Unfortunately, I seem to be finding more and more, like some other people here, that the wonderful aromas are just that—aromas. They don’t translate into the taste of the tea. T-T So sad! I even sweetened it with white honey, which doesn’t alter the flavor of the tea, just to be sure I’d taste all that chocolatey spicy nuttiness… but it wasn’t there.

I may have steeped it a wee bit long (it’s starting to get a shade bitter as it cools), but I know I had the temperature right, so it shouldn’t have scorched it. I’ll try another steep and see if the other flavors come out more after the intense (though yummy) green tea flavor has abated.

The second steep is indeed better, but still not as good as the smell promised. I also added some demerara sugar, which helped the other non-green tea flavors come out. Overall, I’d say this tea isn’t exactly a disappointment, because in the end it does taste nice, but I don’t know if I’d give it a rave review, just because the smell is SO misleading.

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I very clearly remember my first experience with tea. It was in a Target near my house, and my best friend handed me a cup of chai from the Starbucks inside the store and said, “Try this.” I believe I was about 12 at the time, and from then on, I was completely hooked.

Anyway, as my increasingly weirded out family will tell you, my obsession with tea has (almost) steadily escalated since then. I discovered the world of tea slowly, first with just chai, and then with bagged teas I could get from supermarkets and specialty stores, and then with loose leaf teas. I mostly shop for tea at Teavana, but I also patronize other local shops that I’ve discovered within the last couple of years. I’ve ordered a smattering of teas from a few online places, but I’m always leery of buying tea online, since most of how I select teas in person is by smell… unless I’m at The English Tea Room.

My favorite types of tea are blacks and flavored blacks. And oolongs. Right underneath that are rooiboses and whites, and then greens and herbals, and then mates. I’m always looking for a new favorite, but I appreciate rediscovering old favorites. I like to blend teas, but I never store them that way, mostly because I like to leave myself options.

I prefer nutty/sweet/rich teas to fruity/light-flavored teas or bold/full-bodied teas, but I do try to drink some of everything to widen my palate. I’m always willing to try any tea at least once (except this one tea that Teavana mercifully discontinued… the loose leaf smelled like cheese, I swear). I do perhaps rate teas a little leniently… because I’m not very picky. I will try a tea at least three times before I pronounce that I hate it, and I will always focus on the good aspects of a tea rather than the bad. That’s just how I roll. :3